Switching mechanism



Aug. 15, 1933. A. DOUGLAS SWITCHING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 6, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet, l

A g- 15, 1933- H. A. DOUGLAS SWITCHING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledFeb. 6, 1932 Patented Au 15, 1933 UNITED STATES rATENT FFicE:

This invention relates to switchingmechanism more. particularly forautomotive vehicles and electrical circuits associated therewith.

My invention is of particular utility in connection with switchingmechanism which is assembled with the lower end of the steering columnof an automotive vehicle, the switching mechanism being actuated bymeans located adjacent the upper end of the steering column.

Among other objects, the invention provides improved switching mechanismincluding an insulated.- contact keyed to rotate with a shaft andcomplementary contacts arranged in concentric arcs on one side of theaxis of the shaft, associated. with improved means for effecting a snapaction of the contact.

The invention will be more fully explainedby reference to theillustrative construction shown in the accompanying drawings; in whichFigure 1' is a partial end view taken in the region of the steeringwheel; 7

Figure 2 is a view partially in section; of an inclined steering columnwith my invention applied thereto;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3Qof Figure 5 and showingdiagrammatically illustrative circuits associated. therewith;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 5'; t

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of. Figure 2andsorriewhat enlarged;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of some of the complementary contacts inseparated relation Figure '7 is a perspective View of another com- 35plementary contact;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the movable contact contemplated by myinvention;

Figure 9 is a partial section takenon the line 99 of Figure 5; and rFigure 10 is a perspective View of the illustrative movable contact.

The switch actuating mechanism illustrated is inclusive of a rotatablehollow inclined shaft 1 which passes through a sleeve 2 (Figs. 4, 5)fixed 45 thereon-by means of a clamping nut'3 which is screwed upon thetapered and longitudinally split threaded end 4 of the sleeve 2. Acontact carrier here represented by the metallic clip' 5 snugly embracesthe sleeve 2. v The r sleeve embracing .portion of the clip 5 isdesirably formed with tongues 6 (Fig. 9) which are struck inwardlytoenter' asl'ot '7 in the sleeve 2, thereby keying the clip to thesleeve. In this instance, the clip'5 has its sides Sexterided andoverlapped as at 8a to-form -a radially extending bore 9 of squareerally' disposed-flanges 19 ofthe casing sections conducting bridgebetween complementary con-' tacts carried by andwithina casing 13 Withinwhich the'clip; 5 rotates. In accordance with my invention thesecomplementary contacts arearranged inconcentric arcs upon the upper sideof the axis of the shaft 1. Oneof these complementary contacts isdesirably produced the form of an arcuate metallic plate 14,- one end ofwhich is mechanically and electrically connected to ametallic terminalpost 15 which is carried 5 by a semi-cylindrical insulatingwall member16 fixed securely to and forming a part of the casing 13',-as by beingsuitably clamped between the cup-shaped sections 1;? and 18 of thecasing, latentering appropriately'formed slots in the insu lating wallmember. Thecasing 13 is conveniently ofgenerally cylindrical formationand-the twosections of the casing between which the in,-- sulating wallmemberl6 is clamped may them,- selves be clamped together by ears 20formed in a fiange21 on the casing-section '17, for example; andclinched over a mating flange 22 formed on the casing section 18. g Y IThe arcuate plate 141 is slotted as'at 23 to re f ceive therethrough;the contact 12' and in thisinstance the insulating block- 10. Thecontactis shown provided with a hollow shank portion-24 of square crosssectionwhichis slidingly received in the bore 11, thebore 11' and thehollow shank portion 24 together housing a coil spring '25 which pressesthe contact 12 radially of-the shaft-1 and into engagement withcomplementary contacts arcuately disposed on the insulating wall-mem 6ber 16- and in a; plane perpendicular to the shaft l-coincident with theplane of movement of the contact 12. The contact 12 is desirably pros.videdwith a somewhat dome-shaped. heads 26* which 7 seats in cup-shapedcontact portions 2-7 of -metallic terminal members 28,v 29, B0; 131;..32and 33. At its end; opposite the terminal 15-the plate- 141 ismechanically and electrically'icon ne'cted-to the metallic terminal post34 carriedby the insulating wall member 16. I The terminal n members; 15and 34 have reduced p01tiOI1 S I35 which pass through the wall member16, the ends of the reduced portions 35 being passed through appropriateapertures in holding flanges 36 formed at each end of the plate 14, theextremities of the reduced portions 35 being spun over the flanges 36.Thus the plate 14 is held rigidly formation having spring metal branches33 and 39 each of which has two spaced apart contact surfacescomprising, as here shown, two spring contact fingers 38a and 38b forthe branch 38 and 39a, 39b for the branch 39. The spring fingers 38a and39a may be integral and thespring fingers 38b and 3% may be integral,the fork members thus formed being secured to the main portion of thecontact 12 by having a reduced portion 40 of the shaft,24 passtherethrough at the junction of the fork and the head 26 being rivetedover the fingers.

The contact branches 38 and 39 thus formed project into engagement withthe plate 14 by means of the spring fingers 38b and 39b and also bymeans of spring fingers 33a and 39a into engagement with other arcuatecomplementary contact plates disposed in the inner surface of the 'wallmember 16, as next described.

One of these other complementary contacts is here represented by thearcuate metallic plate 41 which is imbedded in the wall member 16abreast of and upon one side of the terminal members 29 to 33 inclusive.The plate 41 is ex tended as at 42 and through a perforation 43 in saidextension the reduced portion 37 of the terminal member 29 passes andthe'cup-shaped portion 27 of the terminal member is clinched over theextension 42, thus electrically connecting the plate'41 with theterminal member 29. The other complementary arcuate contact plate isrepresented by the metallic'plate 44 which is imbedded in the insulatingwall member abreast of the terminal members 30,31, 32 and 33 and uponthe opposite side of these members from the plate 41. a The plate 44 hasa lateral extension 45 and through an aperture 46 in this extension ispassed the reduced portion 37 of the terminal member 30 and thecup-shaped portion 27 of the terminal being clinched thereover, thuselectrically connecting the plate 44 with the terminal member 30. ''Theplate 41 is' disposed in a planeto be engaged by'the contact finger. 38a

of the contact 12 and the plate 44 is disposed in a plane to be engagedby the contact finger BQaof-the contact 12 during the arcuate move mentof the contact. Since the contactfinger 38b travels in the same plane asthe contact finger 38a and the former is in engagement with the plate 14during the arcuate movement of the contact 12, the branch 38 comprisingthe fingers 38a and 381) provides a current conductbridge between thatplate and one of the terminal members 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33 withwhich the head 26 of the contact 12 is in engagement at the time. Toenhance the natural resiliency of the spring fingers 38a and 38b and 39aand 39b,

I have shown the coil springs 47 interposed between the fingers 38a and38b and another such coil spring interposed between the fingers 39a and392),,these springs being secured to tongues 48 struck out of the endsof the fingers. The coil springs desirably tendv to separate the fingersof each pair and maintain them pressed against their respectivecomplementary contact plates.

An insulated wire 49 (Fig. 3) electrically conmay pass through thehollow shaft 1 to an insulated contact button '54, housed centrally ofthe cup-shaped casing 55 surrounding the upper end of the shaft landkeyed torotate the shaft as by the rivet 56 passing through the walls ofthe shaft and the inturned hub 57 of the casing 55. This hub 57 alsosupports a hollow insulating sleeve 53 which insulates the metalliccontact button 54in which the wire 53 terminates. To energize thehorn ametallic cap-59 is superposed upon the casing 55 but is normally spacedfrom the contact button 54 by the action of the 5- coil spring 60 housedby the casing. Movement of the cap 59 away from the casing 55 is limitedby the closed end slots 61 in the casing and the, studs 62 which passthrough the cap '59 and into the slots 61. The cap is thus depressibleaxially of the casing against the action "of the spring 60 and when sodepressed engages the contact button 54 and a grounded circuit iscompleted to the horn through the casing 55, shaft 1, metal frame of thecar and back to the other side of the battery. So constructed andarranged also rotation of the casing 55 rotates the shaft 1 to rotatethe clip 5 carrying the movable contact 12.

When the clip 5 is in the position shown in Figure 5 the horn throughthe plate 14 in electrical connection with the battery as justexplained. The contact 12 is insulated from the plate 14 since thefingers 38b and 3% are engaged by insulating inserts 63 carried by theplate 14 flush with the contacting surface of the plate as by beingreceived in the depressed portions 64 of the plate 14. This constitutesthe off position of the switch. When, however, the clip 5 is rotated sothat the head 26 of the contact 12 is in engagement with the terminal 28a circuit is established. through the grounded battery 50, plate l4, contact,fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 28, insulated wire 65 and groundedparking lamps 66. .At. the same time a circuit is established throughthegrounded battery 56, plate 14, spring fingers 38b and 38a, plate 41,terminal 29, insulated wire 67, grounded rear lamp 6-3 and groundedinstrument lamp 69. This constitutes one .po-

sition of the switch for night use when the vehicle is not in motion.

When the clip 5' is rotated to have the head 26 of the contact 12 inengagement with the terminal 30 a circuit'is established through thegrounded battery 50,'plate 14, fingers 39b and 89a, terminal 30,insulated wire 30aand to the ignition system of the vehicle indicateddiagrammatically at 7c. In this position of the contact 12 the springcontact finger 38a is out of engagement with the plate 41 since theplate at this point has its'contact surface discontinued, a shortsection lfi of the plate l1 being covered by the insulating wall member16. Consequently, the circuit through the tail lamp 63 and instrumentlamp 69 discontinued. While the spring finger 39a is inengagement withthe plate 4 1 in this position of the switch, the plate 4a is merely acontinuation of the terminal 30. This constitutes the daydrivingposition of the switch.

When the clip 5 is again rotatedtohave the head 26 of. the contact 12 inengagement with the terminal 31 a circuit is established through thegrounded battery 50, wire to, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 39b,terminal 31, insulated wire '77 and through the grounded filaments 78 ofthe driving lamps 79. The filaments 78 may be. the normal driving lightsor" the vehicle as by being located in'the focus'of the lamps 79. At thesame time a circuit is established through the grounded battery 50, wire49, plate 14, contact fingers 39a and 3%, plate 44., terminal 30, wireBilaand ignition system '70.. Also still another circuit is established.through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 38a,plate 411, wire 67 and through therear lamp 638 and instrument lamp 69.This constitutes the normal night driving position of the switch.

When the clip 5 is again rotated to have the headZS of the contact 12 inengagement with' the terminal 32 a circuit is established through thegrounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 32,insulated wire 80 and through the grounded filaments 81 of the drivinglamps 79. The filaments 81 may be the in termediate driving lights ofthe vehicle as by being located above the focus of the lamps 79. At thesame time another circuit is established through the grounded battery50, plate 14, contact fingers 39b and 39a, plate 14, wire 38a and to theignition system 7o. Simultaneously also still another circuit isestablished through the grounded battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers38b, 38a, plate 4+1, wired? through the rear lamp 68 and instrument lamp659. This constitutes the position of the switch when the vehicle ispassing another car, for example, at night.

When again the clip 5 is rotated to have the head 26011 the contact 12in engagement with the terminal 33 a circuit is established through thegrounded battery 50, plate 14, spring fingers 38b and 3%, terminal 33and to the grounded reading lamp 82 of the vehicle. At the same timeanother circuit is established through the battery 56, plate 1d, contactfingers 39b and 39a, plate 44, wire 30:; and to the iginition system'70. Simultaneously also still another circuit is established throughthe battery 50, plate 14, contact fingers 38b and 38a, plate 41, wire 67through the rear lamp 68 and instrument lamp 69. 'This constitutes aselected position of the switch in which the parking and driving lightsare extinguished.

It is very desirable that the clip 5 shall move into its respectivepositions by a pronounced snap action and I have provided a simple andimproved structure to accomplish this result which is inclusive of acorrugated surface carried by the casing 13 and a spring pressed ridercarried by the clip 5 to engage said surface. In this instance, the clip5 is continued radially of the shaft 1. and upon the diametricallyopposite side of the shaft. from the insulating block" 1 3, two sides 83of the .clip 5 thuscontinued being bent uponthemselves to provide a bore84 which,

in this instance, is of square cross section and and outwardly of thebore 84 by a coil spring 86 housed by the bore 84 and the riders 85..Each of these riders desirably has a V-shaped nose 87 which rides ,overthe corrugated surfaces 88 formed in the walls of each of the casingsections 17 and 18, these corrugated surfaces having hills 89 andvalleys 90 oppositely arranged and also arranged so that when the riders87 are in the valleys 90, the head of thecontactlZ is centrally seatedin one of the cup-shaped contact portions of the terminals 28 to 33inclusive. Thus the contact must be moved from one terminal to the otheragainst the action of the spring 86 and the hills 89. So arranged thespring 86 may be made of suitable capacity to effect thedesired snapaction more or' less independently of the spring 25. I

Rotation of the casing 13 during rotation of the clip 5 may be preventedby any suitable means. For example, as here shown, the casing 13 may beprovided with a rigid finger 91 which is received between the forked end92 of a bracket 93suitably secured rigidly tothe gear casing 9% carriedby the. stationary steering column 95.

The steering column may contain other rotatable shafts which do notenter into the present invention and therefore need not be described.

The rotatable casing 55 which rotatesthe shaft 1 may conveniently beprovided with a pointer 96 and the different positions of this pointercorresponding to the respective positions of the contact l2.may beindicated upon a stationary dial plate9'7 fixed below the casing 55.

Common subject-matter disclosed in this applicationand in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 584,444, filed January 2, 1932, (Case 321) isbroadly claimed in said copending application.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the specific details. ofconstruction herein described for purposes of exeniplification.Furthermore, it is not indispensable that all features of the inventionbe used conjointly as various combinations and sub-combinations may beadvantageously employed.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a switching mechanism, the combination. with arotatable shaft;':of .a clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyed to rotatewith the shaft; a block of. insulation secured between the sides of theclip; a contact carried by said blocir;

a continuation of the clipextending radially on the opposite side of theshaft from the contact; an outwardly spring pressed rider on saidcontinuation; and a corrugated member against which the rider bears,whereby the clip is rotated with a snap action.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are two corrugated members andtwo riders disposed longitudinally of the shaft, the riders beingpressed apart by a common spring against theirrespective corrugatedmembers.

the contact simultaneously engaging the complementary contacts in all ofthe arcs to provide a current conducting bridge therebetween.

4. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a rotatable shaft; ofan insulated contact member keyed to rotate with the shaft; andcomplementary contacts arranged in pairs in concentric arcs on one sideof the axis of the shaft, the contacts of a pair being disposedlongitudinally of the shaft and the contact member simultaneouslyengaging all of the complementary contacts to provide a plurality ofconducting bridges therebetween.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the contact member is in the form ofa fork, the branches of the fork each having spaced apart contactsurfaces and wherein there are spring means in each branch pressingapart the contact surfaces of each fork.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein the contact member is spring pressedradially of the shaft axis and is in the form of a fork having acentralcontact surface and four' other contact surfaces provided by twobranches of the fork, each branch having spaced apart contact surfacesand wherein there are spring means between the contact surfaces of eachfork to press said surfaces apart.

'7. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a rotatable shaft; ofa clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyedto rotate with theshaft; a block of insulation secured between the sides of the'clip; acontact member carried by said block; a continuation of the clipextending radially on the opposite side of the shaft axis from thecontact member; a pair of riders carried by. said continuation, saidriders being spring pressed longitudinally of the shaft in oppositedirections; and a casing receiving said mechanism, the walls of thecasing having a pair of oppositely disposed corrugated surfaces againstwhich the spring pressed riders bear, whereby the clip is rotated with asnap action. I

8. The structure of claim 'I wherein the riders are both received in acommon bore in the clip continuation extending longitudinally of theshaft axis and wherein the riders are pressed apart by the same springbarrelled in said bore.

said contact member simultaneously engaging the complementary contactsin both arcs to provide a current conducting bridge therebetween; acontinuation of the clip extending radially on the of the casing havinga pair of oppositely disposed corrugated surfaces .against which theriders bear, whereby the contact member is moved with a snap action. I

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein the riders are both received in acommon bore in the clip continuation extending longitudinally of theshaft axis and wherein the riders are pressed apartby the same springbarrelled in said bore.

11. In a switching mechanism, the combina tion with a rotatable shaft;of a clip projecting radially from the shaft and keyed to rotatetherewith; a block of insulation secured between the sides of the clip;a contact member carried by said block; complementary contacts arrangedin pairs in concentric arcs on one side of the axis of the shaft, thecontacts of a pair being disposed longitudinally of the shaft and thecontact member simultaneously engaging all'of the complementary contactsto provide a plurality of current conducting bridges therebetween; acontinuation of.the clip extending radially on the opposite side of theshaft axis from the complemental contacts; a pair of riders carriedbysaid'continuation, said riders being spring pressed longitudinally ofthe shaft in opposite directions; and a casing receiving said mechanism,the complementary contacts being secured to the walls of the casing onone side of the shaft axis and the walls of the casing on theother sideof the shaft axis having a pair of oppositely disposed corrugatedsurfaces againstwhich the riders bear, wherebythe contact member ismoved with a snap action.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein the contact member is in the formof a fork, the branches of the fork each having spaced apart contactsurfaces and wherein there are spring means in each branch pressingapart the contact surfaces of each fork.

13. The structure of claim 11 wherein the contact member is springpressed in the clip radially'of the shaft axis and is in the form of afork having a central contact surface and four other contact surfacesprovided by two branches of the fork, each branch having spaced apartcontact surfaces and wherein there are spring means between the contactsurfaces of each fork to press the surfaces apart.

14. The structure of claim 3 Wherein'one of the planes contains aplurality of arcuately arranged complementary contacts of differentradii engageable with the first mentioned contact.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

